For Art Cologne, nouveaux deuxdeux presents the works of two artists, Mona Schulzek and Ludwig Stalla, whose conceptual practices explore the intersections of humanity, nature, technology, and the outer space. Both artists engage profoundly with materiality, its transformation, symbolic weight, and philosophical implications—yet they approach it from different angles, challenging traditional notions of knowledge and perception.
Schulzek’s research-driven practice investigates the transformative potential of both earthly andextraterrestrial materials. In her current series, Chamber and Portal she integrates meteorites, metals, and scientific observations into sculptural objects that act as portals between biological and technological systems. Reminiscent of space capsules, these works evoke the possibility of cosmic contact, containing rock samples and relics of once-living earthly organisms. By doing so, Schulzek envisions the exchange of matter and life across vast cosmic distances, preparing the ground for the speculative possibility of extraterrestrial life and communication. The Atmosphere ≠ Totality series shows meteorites and volcanic stones. While the earthly volcanic stone has emerged from the earth’s interior to the surface, the extraterrestrial meteorite has travelled from outer space into the earth’s atmosphere. Her work invites viewers to reflect on the unknown, the mystical, and thespeculative, drawing from narratives that predate modern scientific methods, opening new ways to understand our place in the universe.
In contrast, Ludwig Stalla engages with materials through a highly analytical, almost scientific lens. His works delve into the technical properties of material transformation, using architectural precision and alchemical experimentation to explore the interaction between humanity, nature, and technology.
In his Circuit Board series, Ludwig Stalla transforms discarded electronic components into sites of material regeneration. Through an electrolytic copper-plating process, copper gradually grows from the surface of the circuit boards, forming intricate dendritic structures. Over time, these crystalline formations take on coral-like shapes—branching, organic, and delicately fragile—blurring the boundary between technology and nature, decay and renewal.
For Stalla, materials are not passive—they are active participants in the creation of his art. His work highlights the invisible processes that shape the world, revealing hidden traces of human intervention in nature. In Stalla’s artistic practice, material modules—particularly metals in powder and plate forms, as well as foams and linen are key elements of his aesthetic vocabulary. These materials serve as building blocks from which individual compositions emerge, each carrying the potential for dialogue. This dialogue is shaped by contrasting dynamics that underpin the artist's creative process: on one hand, tendencies to enclose or contain, as seen in his Casings series, and on the other, works that explore the release of matter, such as his screen prints featuring smoke and cloud motifs.
The latter works, with their emphasis on the release of heat, stand in stark contrast to the cold, metallic frames, which serve not only as physical objects but also as motifs or subjects within some of his pieces. The Casings reveal themselves as multi-layered bodies, precisely where the act of enclosing or "casing" deliberately remains incomplete. These works linger in the ambiguous moment between sealing and opening, symbolizing a movement in both directions. This tension—between containment and release, between closure and the possibility of opening—forms a central theme in Stalla's exploration of materiality, transformation, and human interaction with the environment.
Together, Schulzek and Stalla foster a compelling dialogue around the transformation of materials, the speculative and the scientific, and the relationships between humans, nature, and technology. Both artists advocate for societal transformation, challenging established knowledge systems and pushing the boundaries of perception. While Schulzek engages with alternative forms of knowledge through speculative narratives and mystical insights, Stalla focuses on the technical and transformative processes embedded within material structures. Their works invite viewers to explore new forms of collective thinking, where scientific rigor and speculative imagination coexist. Through their shared commitment to exploring the complex connections between materials, knowledge, and human existence, Schulzek and Stalla create new spaces for thought and action. Their works transcend the boundaries of established systems, offering new perspectives of art, science, and society.
Mona Schulzek
Chamber V
2025
Titanium, stainless steel aluminum, polyester, nylon, spherical mirror
210 x 147 x 128 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Untitled 2 (Signal)
2025
copper powder, gesso, acrylic binder
on canvas
150 x 120 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Untitled 1 (Signal)
2025
copper powder, gesso, acrylic binder on canvas
150 x 120 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Untitled 4 (Casing)
2025
graphite, linen, acrylic glass, aluminum
72 x 54 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Untitled 2 (Casing)
2025
graphite, canvas, acrylic glass,aluminum
96 x 72 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Untitled 6 (Casing)
2025
graphite, canvas, acrylic glass,
aluminum
60 x 48 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Untitled 3 (Casing)
2025
graphite, canvas, acrylic glass,
aluminum
72 x 54 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Circuit Board 11
2025
electroformed copper, printed circuitboard, aluminum
27 x 27 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Circuit Board 9
2025
electroformed copper, printed circuitboard, aluminum
42 x 30 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Circuit Board 8
2025
electroformed copper, printed circuitboard, acrylic glass, green anodized aluminum
36 x 30 cm
Ludwig Stalla
Circuit Board 10
2025
electroformed copper, printed circuitboard, aluminum
42 x 30 cm
Mona Schulzek
Terrestrial stone (11°09'52.9"S 26°59’55.4“E) 2025
Malachite, stainless steel, acrylic glass
23,5 x 19 x 14,5 cm
Mona Schulzek
Extraterrestrial stone (27°40’16.1"S 61°35’07.9“W)
2025
Meteorite, stainless steel, acrylic glass
23,5 x 19 x 12,5 cm
Mona Schulzek
Terrestrial stone (19°07’42.8"N 102°15’26.5"E)
2025
Tektite, stainless steel, acrylic glass
39,5 x 32 x 16 cm
Mona Schulzek
Organic Matter 2
2025
Titanium, stainless steel, giant pill millipede (Sphaeropoeus lugubris)
30 x 30 x 14 cm
Mona Schulzek
Organic Matter 3
2025
Titanium, stainless steel, giant pill millipede
(Sphaeropoeus lugubris)
32 x 32 x 13 cm
Mona Schulzek
Portal A & Portal B
2025
Fiberglass, aluminum, steel, selenite, silicium
320 x 22 x 27 cm